Treesearch

This report provides a wide range of specific and statistical information on forest products markets in terms of production, trade, prices and consumption, employment, and other factors influencing forest sustainability.

USDA Forest Service capital investment in management infrastructure was $501 and $390 million (2005$) for 2005 and 2007, respectively. National forest programs expenditures decreased from $3.0 to $2.7 billion between 2004 and 2007 and wildfire management expenditures increased from $1.7 to $2.1 billion (2005$). State forestry program expenditures for 1998, 2002, and 2004 were $2.0 to $2.2 billion (2005$). Forest recreation capital investment by the Forest Service was $461 and $405 million for 2008 and 2009, respectively, and by the National Park Service was $386 and $474 million for 2006...

Summarizes information on wood as an engineering material. Presents properties of wood and wood-based products of particular concern to the architect and engineer. Includes discussion of designing with wood and wood-based products along with some pertinent uses.

To better understand the performance of bonded, coated, and modified wood, knowledge of how these processes alter the dimensional change and mechanical properties of wood at a given moisture content (MC) are important. These localized influences on earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) properties are not well understood. In the present study, the influence of chemical treatments by hydroxymethylated resorcinol (HMR) and acetylation on moisture-induced dimensional change and longitudinal modulus of elasticity (MOE) of isolated EW and LW specimens of Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was evaluated....

Adhesives used in wood products sometimes infiltrate, or diffuse into the solid material of, wood cell walls, potentially modifying their properties. These changes in cell wall properties are likely to impact the performance of adhesive bonds. While adhesive infiltration has been observed by multiple methods, the effect on cell wall properties is not well understood. We have evaluated the combination of fluorescent microscopy and nanoindentation to establish the extent of adhesive infiltration and whether the presence of adhesive in the wood fibre causes any mechanical property changes....

The objectives of this research project are (1) to show how the sustainable resources of forest biomass, solar energy, harvested rainwater, and small-diameter logs can be integrated to a system that provides most or all of the energy and water needs of a typical cold climate residential household, and (2) to effectively interpret the results and convey the sustainable potential to the public. This project validates that (1) the combination of the BioMax® wood-pellet energy system (5 kW peak) with grid interconnected solar energy via photovoltaics (4 kW) can provide the majority of the...

Over the past few years the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have supported several research programs. This paper is a result of a study sponsored by FPL, with the objective of determining how truckloads are distributed to the deck panels of a longitudinal glued-laminated timber deck bridge. Currently, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) LRFD (load and resistance factor design) Bridge Design Specification provides live load distribution provisions for...

Bulk wood properties are derived from an ensemble of processes taking place at the micron-scale, and at this level the properties differ dramatically in going from cell wall layers to the middle lamella. To better understand the properties of these micron-scaled regions of wood, we have developed a unique set of nano-indentation tools that allow us to measure local elastic modulus and hardness creep properties. The creep measurement entails a technique called broadband nano-indentation creep (BNC), which is able to probe the material flow behavior across four decades of strain rate....

With green building concepts becoming widespread in the construction field, building practices and materials are being examined for their environmental impact. Reusing building materials has a distinct advantage over using newly manufactured materials because these reclaimed materials avoid greenhouse gas emissions associated with new (virgin) material manufacturing. In a wood-framed building, building materials reclaimed during deconstructing (dismantling) may include framing lumber and wood flooring. This study quantified the energy impact of reusing these two wood materials in new...

Rapid economic development and growth in China has resulted in a substantial increase in the demand for utilization of bio-based composites. This provides a unique opportunity for developing wood adhesives. This study reviews research development and major accomplishments in wood adhesives and technology in China over the last 50 years. It also discusses the characteristics of China’s wood adhesive supply and utilization. The results show that urea-formaldehyde adhesive is still the dominant wood adhesive with about 70% of total adhesive use. However, public health and environmental...